CHILDRENS HEART FOUNDATION

ABOUT US: Children's Heart Foundation was founded in 2001 through the compassionate efforts of local pediatric cardiologists and concerned families of children with heart problems.

OUR MISSION: Children’s Heart Foundation is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of children with heart conditions throughout Nevada. We empower heart families through emotional, educational and financial support to inspire a higher quality of life for all.

The Foundation has three main goals:

1. To provide a carefree camp experience for children with heart conditions

2. To educate healthcare professionals and the general public on pediatric cardiology issues

3. To lend support to families as they deal with the emotional and financial toll exacted by a child's heart problems

Heart problems in children are surprisingly common. They are, in fact, the most common type of birth defect and the number one cause of death during the first year of life. Nearly twice as many children die from congenital heart disease in the United States each year as die from all forms of childhood cancers combined.

In Nevada alone, more than 350 children are born each year with significant heart disease requiring either intensive medications or surgery. An additional 150 to 250 of Nevada's children and newborns may develop a heart problem due to infections, Kawasaki disease or Rheumatic fever. Hundreds more will exhibit problems with heartbeat irregularities requiring medications or specialized procedures.

Thank you for helping Children's Heart Foundation make a difference to the littlest of hearts!

FACTS & STATISTICS:

♥ Congenital heart defects are America’s #1 birth defect. Nearly one of every 100 babies is born with a CHD.

♥ Congenital heart defects are the #1 cause of birth defect related deaths.

♥ This year almost 35,000 babies will be born with a congenital heart defect. 3,500 of them will not live to see their first birthday.

♥ 91,000 life years are lost each year in this country due to congenital heart defects.

♥ The cost for inpatient surgery to repair congenital heart defects exceeds $2.2 billion a year.

♥ Congenitalheart defects occur frequently and are often life threatening, yet research into them is grossly under funded.

♥ Of every dollar the government spends on medical funding only a fraction of a penny is directed toward congenital heart defect research.

♥ In the last decade death rates for congenital heart defects have declined by almost 30% due to advances made through research.

♥ More than 50% of all children born with a congenital heart defect will require at least one invasive surgery in their lifetime.

♥ There are 35 different types of congenital heart defects. Little is known about the cause of most them. There is not yet a cure for any of them.

♥ In the U.S., twice as many children die from congenital heart defects each year than from all forms of childhood cancer combined, yet funding for pediatric cancer research is five times higher than funding for CHD.

Big ♥s Helping Little ♥s!

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